Then You're Not in Love
by HeartsHungBehind
Summary: "If you loved someone, you'd do anything to protect them, right?" Klaine fluff, minor mentions of an OC Blaine love interest, which I would never write if it wasn't a necessary evil for the story. Slightly crack at times, just as a warning now...
1. Infatuation

**A/N- This chapter is a little slow, but trust me, it's setting up something very cute! And I hate the concept of Blaine with anyone but Kurt, but for the sake of his story it's a necessary evil.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Glee.**

"I can't explain it. He's just so... amazing." Blaine stared dreamily at the corner of the wall, making his friend gag.

"Whatever you say, Blaine." Kurt was only half listening. He had given up trying to pay attention as Blaine praised a boy in his English class; Kurt much preferred to watch his movie on the couch. Blaine had come over to the younger boy's dorm for a visit, but it seemed like his mind was somewhere else that day.

"I'm serious, Kurt! He's good looking, smart, funny, athletic..." Blaine let his sentence trail, nonchalantly adding, "I think I'm in love with him."

"Woah! Hold it right there!" That was going too far. Kurt could just barely deal with the fact that Blaine had a crush on someone. He had been through that before, so the feeling was nothing new. But saying that he was in love with this guy broke Kurt's fragile heart. To hide the feelings that were already spreading across his face, the small boy reacted angrily. "How can you say you're in love with that guy? You barely even know him!"

"He's not just 'that guy,' Kurt. His name is Jason, and I've known him since the day I got to Dalton!"

"Oh really?" Kurt sat up, untangling his legs from their spot on Blaine's lap. "Then why is this the first time I'm hearing about him? How many conversations have you actually had with this so-called Jason, might I ask?"

Blaine's cheeks colored, and he muttered, "Six or seven..."

"Six or seven? You've known this boy for years and you've had about a hundred times more conversations with me than with him." Kurt shook his head. "You're not in love, you hopeless romantic."

"Oh really?" Blaine mimicked Kurt in his response. "What would you call it then, Mr. I-Know-Everything?"

Kurt looked down at the floor, a look of concentration on his face. "Infatuation," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're infatuated."

"Is that so?" Blaine rolled his eyes. Kurt had no idea what he was talking about. "Well either way, I- oh shit!" Blaine's gaze landed on Kurt's alarm clock, reading that it was midnight and far past curfew. "I gotta go, I don't want to get in trouble. I'm gonna have to sneak out."

"You could stay, you know." Kurt looked up hopefully at the other boy, who was throwing on his Warbler jacket in record time. "They almost never check the rooms, but you'll probably get caught in the hall..."

Blaine laughed, making Kurt's chest pang. "I'll take my chances." He headed for the door, waving goodbye as he tiptoed from Kurt's dorm room. He swore he could hear a heavy sigh as he walked away.

Blaine honestly didn't have a problem with staying in Kurt's room overnight, but he didn't want to send the wrong message. _You have to keep your distance, Blaine. For the sake of your friendship._

Blaine successfully reached his bedroom, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. It was too late to even shower, and the boy flopped down on his bed, sweet sleep taking him immediately.

* * *

_"Blaine! Get up, I've been waiting for too long!" The brunet felt a sharp kick at his hip. He rolled to his side, and the sight before him knocked the wind from his lungs._

_"Hello." The creature sat on the foot of Blaine's bed, smiling mischievously. It had the voice of Kurt, but was clearly someone other than his friend. This boy had the same lithe build, but with more defined muscles underneath a skintight v-neck. The gray fabric of the shirt accentuated those blue eyes, making them smolder. The eyes themselves were much larger, along with this warped Kurt's lips and the heightened points of his elfin ears. The handsome boy smirked, clearly amused by Blaine's gaping expression._

_"It's me, Blaine. We need to talk."_


	2. Protective

**A/N- Just as an FYI, dream sequences are in italics.**

_"Kurt? Is that you?" Blaine leaned towards the boy, who laughed in his face._

_"No, stupid!" The boy, who was apparently not Kurt, threw his legs on the bed and started to crawl towards Blaine. "Why, do you want me to be?"_

_"Wh- what? No!" He sputtered and blushed, scooting back to sit up. "Who are you?" He asked again, rather impatiently._

_He made a thoughtful face identical to the one Kurt had worn just a few hours earlier. "I guess you could say I'm your conscience. I have no idea why I look like Kurt though... He must be very important to you." The figment of Blaine's strange imagination stood, brushing off the knees of his dark skinny jeans. "If you're comfortable with this form, I suppose you can just call me Kurt."_

_"Okay then... Kurt." Blaine climbed out of bed to stand by the other boy. "Can I ask what you're doing here?"_

_Kurt rolled his eyes. "Like I said, we need to talk. I hear you think you're in love with some boy." He crossed his arms and fixed his large eyes on Blaine. "I must say, I'm not happy." _

_"Why do you keep saying that?" Blaine threw his hands in the air, not caring that he may wake someone if he yelled. "Would you just leave me alone? Please?"_

_"No. I need you to follow me." He grabbed Blaine's hand, and Blaine felt Kurt's smooth skin between his fingers. His conscience pulled at his arm with amazing strength, dragging him to the door and yanking it open. "I wanna show you something."_

_The two ran down the hall, Blaine confused and Kurt very determined. They went into the cafeteria where Dalton students milled around and ate their various breakfasts. Kurt pulled Blaine up to a tall blonde, who barely noticed them._

_"Kurt!" Blaine whispered frantically, "What are you doing?"_

_"You'll see. Hey, Jason!" Kurt pushed Blaine into the tall boy. Jason turned, and Blaine could see the athlete's toned body through his dress shirt. He looked down at Blaine, slowly recognizing him from their few classes together over the years._

_"Oh, hi. Blaine, right?" Blaine nodded, unable to answer. He turned around to give Kurt a worried glance, but the strange boy had moved, now standing right next to him. Kurt smirked and leaned in toward Blaine's ear._

_"If you loved him, you would do anything to keep him safe, right?" Blaine could hear restrained laughter in Kurt's voice._

_"Sure, I guess..."_

_"Really? So if it was your life or his, you would let him live?" Blaine gave his conscience an awkward glance through slitted eyes, but nodded his head all the same. "Okay, whatever you say." The Warbler saw a flash of silver, then felt pressure against his temple._

_"Kurt..." Blaine said slowly, "What are you doing?"_

_"You said you would let him live, Blaine. Are you sure you could keep your word?"_

_Blaine's mouth was hanging open, but he shut him eyes and nodded one last time. "Okay... 3... 2... 1..." Blaine ducked at the last second, and this crazy version of his friend pulling the trigger of... a water gun. A jet of ice cold water sprayed from the nozzle, getting Jason's jacket wet._

_"What the he-"_

_"Gotta run, sorry!" Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and ran out into the hallway, laughing to no end. "You moved!" he shouted, finally stopping in the middle of the hall. "I knew you wouldn't go through with it. I just shot the boy you claim to love, all because you ducked!"_

_"You had a gun to my head, you psycho!" Blaine was panting, still in shock over what had just happened._

_"Correction; I had a _water_ gun to your head. I wasn't really gonna hurt you! Besides, people always make the right choice in a life or death situation."_

_"You. Are. Clinically. Insane."_

_"And I'm just your conscience!" The boy laughed again. "What does that say about you?" Kurt pointed the water gun at Blaine, giving him a spritz in the face._

Blaine jerked awake, trying to wipe away the water that was never actually there. He sighed heavily, just now realizing that he had never even bothered to take off his uniform when he fell asleep. The brunet slipped out of his dress clothes, throwing them over a chair before glancing at his clock. The blinking red lights told him it was 3:24 in the morning, so with another sigh, Blaine laid back down in bed. _No more late nights with Kurt_, he thought to himself. Clearly he was sleep deprived because of them.

* * *

It was Thursday night, and Blaine and Kurt were driving to Breadstix right after school. They had plans to meet Mercedes for dinner, and Kurt promised not to cancel or be late, as he often was when Blaine was involved in his plans.

"Let's stop here, I need gas." Blaine pulled his car up to a gas station pump, climbing out to pay inside the gas station. Kurt got out too, following his companion while complaining to himself about having such a small bladder.

They walked inside the small Lima store. Kurt was about to head to the back in search of a restroom when he gasped and knelt down behind a shelf, pulling Blaine down with him by the collar. Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt put a finger to Blaine's lips, effectively silencing him. Blaine refused to acknowledge the fact that the action made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Kurt quickly peeked around the shelf, letting out a sigh as he stood back up. "Sorry about that, I just thought I saw some McKinley foot-"

"Watch out!" Blaine jumped in front of Kurt just as two large boys in red jackets threw an icy blue substance in their direction. The slushie hit Blaine full-force, preventing a single drop from getting on Kurt.

Kurt stood open mouthed as the two football players laughed, mumbling homophobic slurs as they walked out of the gas station. Kurt ran out from behind Blaine's shielding body, still speechless. When he finally came around, the only thing he could think to say was, "You just took a slushie for me."

"Well you just bought that shirt, I wasn't gonna let anything happen to it." Blaine tried to smirk, but the cold liquid was very distracting. "Could we go...?" He pointed to the bathroom, shuddering violently as the blue syrup slid down his abdomen.

"Oh! Right!" Blaine felt Kurt's tight grip around his hand, reminding him of a dream he had recently experienced, and was brought into the men's room. Kurt let hot water soak a heaping wad of paper towels, then slowly started to dab at Blaine's ruined shirt. "I don't think there's much hope for this." The white garment was thin, and the stain was already beginning to set and the shirt uncomfortably sticky.

"Hey, there are other shirts. Besides, I'm fairly certain I have another in the car." Blaine pushed Kurt's hands away and took off the messy top, tossing it in the garbage can against the wall. "No harm done."

"Right, right." It was all Kurt could manage to say as he stared at Blaine's chest. The shirtless boy coughed, trying to discreetly pull the other one from his reverie. Kurt looked up and shook his head. He handed Blaine the paper towels. "You might wanna do that yourself. You look like a smurf, by the way."

"Ha ha." Blaine rubbed at the skin of his chest, attempting to at least remove the slimy feeling the drink had left.

Kurt smiled, looking anywhere other than the blue-stained Warbler in front of him. "Thank you for that. You really saved me back there."

"I'll always save you, Kurt. That's what I'm here for." Blaine let the words slip out, only realizing the enormous meaning behind them after the fact. _You would do anything to keep him safe, right? _Blaine stared at Kurt, remembering the features of the strange boy in his dream. It was Kurt's turn to feel awkward.

"Ummm... Blaine? We're gonna be late."

"Huh?" His eyes pulled back into focus and he tried his best to shake the memory. "Right. Come on, let's just get out of here."


	3. Giving and Getting

Blaine flopped on his suede couch, grabbing the remote and turning on mindless television. "Finally!" His last Friday class was over, and Blaine always took this time to take a nap before dinner and Warblers practice. Kurt promised to wake him up when it was time to eat. They always had dinner together on Friday before Kurt had to leave Saturday morning. Blaine closed his eyes gently and let sleep take him, but it was all too short.

_"Blaine! Time to get up." The boy smiled and rolled on his back, opening his eyes slowly to take in the sight of his friend. Yet when the sleepy haze cleared, the oversized features of someone else became visible._

_"What do you want this time?" Blaine launched upright and glared at his conscience. "I don't really have time for this, you know."_

_"I know." The warped Kurt sat on Blaine's lap, wrapping his arms around the strong boy's shoulders. Blaine didn't bother to find it odd, he was too distracted by the fluttery feeling the action gave his stomach. "I just want to show you something. It's quick, I promise!"_

_Blaine sighed. "Fine, come on." Kurt squealed and jumped from his lap, grabbing Blaine's hand._

_"A question before we go on this little expedition. What would you give to the person you love?"_

_"Ummm..." Blaine looked at Kurt, confused. "I don't really know. Time? Gifts?" He didn't do well with open-ended questions._

_"No. Everything." He pulled at the brunet's hand and, in what seemed like a millisecond, they were in a dorm room completely foreign to Blaine. Sitting at the cluttered desk of a disgustingly cluttered room was Jason, scribbling out an essay that had been due the day before. God, what a slob._

_Kurt must have been thinking the same thing; he eyebrow was arched to a height Blaine had not thought possible. With merely a look, Kurt was asking, "You like this slob?" Blaine opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a low growl from the student at the desk._

_"Ah, looks like someone's hungry. Do you remember my question from earlier?"_

_Blaine glanced at the figment. "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? Should I buy him dinner or something?"_

_Kurt rolled his large, expressive eyes. "Well, what if you were starving, but Jason," he pointed at the blond in the corner, "Wanted the only food you had?" Kurt elbowed Blaine in the gut, and the boy fell to the floor. His stomach felt empty, like a pit that could never be filled. Blaine held his aching sides and glared at his conscience._

_The boy smirked and leaned over, waving something in front of Blaine's tortured face: a shiny apple, its skin practically splitting from the sweet inner juice. His eyes grew wide. Just one bite..._

_"Go give this to Jason."_

_"What?" His eyes never left the fruit as he yelped. It was amazing that Jason could be so close and not seem to hear a word, but that was one of the many mysteries of Blaine's dreams. The only mystery on his mind at the moment was why his conscience insisted on playing these cruel games._

_"I'm trying to teach you a lesson here, Blaine!" Kurt could apparently hear his every thought. "Now are you going to do it or what?" Blaine gave the figment a look of contempt. He used all the strength he could muster to stand, snatching the apple and walking up to the athlete. He was doing this not out of love, but for the need to prove Kurt, the real one and the one in his head, wrong._

_"You looked a little hungry." He set it on the desk, and Jason looked up, somehow unsurprised that Blaine was in his dorm room. He smiled and took it, biting into the red skin to reveal the bright white flesh of the apple. Blaine's eyes grew wide, his stomach giving a growl. "Do you think, maybe, I could have a bite?"_

_Jason looked up. "Can't you just go grab dinner?" Blaine's jaw dropped. He had given his only food to this boy, and he didn't even have the heart to spare a bite._

Kurt smiled behind him. He knew the Warbler had gotten the message. "Yes, Blaine, why don't you go eat dinner?"

"Blaine?" Kurt, the real one this time, shook his friend awake. "Seriously Blaine, get up. We're gonna be late for dinner."

"Huh?" Blaine rubbed his narrowed eyes as they adjusted to the light. "It's time already?"

"Yeah, and not a moment too soon. I could hear your stomach grumbling from the hallway." Kurt gave Blaine one of his adorable little smiles. "Come on, let's go eat."

* * *

Blaine sighed contently. "I love food... so much."

Kurt laughed, watching as Blaine rubbed his full stomach. The two reached Kurt's dorm room and the younger boy put a hand to his pocket.

"Shit!" Kurt began to frantically pat down every crevice in his uniform. "I can't find my key!"

"Really?" The soprano nodded, and Blaine jiggled the handle of the door. Locked.

Kurt let out a huff and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, letting it fall perfectly back into place as it slipped through his fingers. "I won't be able to get in until my roommate comes back on Sunday. Shit!" He kicked the door, letting out a string of expletives. "I guess I'll just go home early. I can get to Lima by ten, I suppose."

"You don't need to do that." Blaine put a hand on Kurt's shoulder and gave him a worried glance. He didn't want Kurt driving so late at night. "You can sleep in my room, if you'd like."

Kurt blushed at the thought. "I wouldn't want to impose..."

"It's fine, Kurt. I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't serious." Blaine smiled sweetly. "I insist you take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Are you-"

"I'm sure!" Blaine took Kurt's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, leading him down the hall. He pulled out his key, feeling Kurt become tense with anger at the reminder of his mistake, and opened the door.

The boys took turns using Blaine's shower, and soon they were relaxing on the couch. They watched a television broadcasting of "The Parent Trap," the original and not the "crappy Lindsay Lohan one," as Kurt called it.

Kurt had nothing to wear, so Blaine loaned him a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. There was something amusing and, yes, a little kinky, about seeing another boy wearing his clothes. Blaine's pants fit Kurt reasonably well because they were long on Blaine, but his shirt was a size too large. The oversized outfit made Kurt look small, vulnerable, and undeniably adorable.

As they sat and watched Hayley Mills sing "Let's Get Together," the two boys tried to sit in their usual positions: Blaine with his feet resting on the coffee table, Kurt with his legs stretched across Blaine's lap. But unlike Kurt's sofa, the one in Blaine's room was simply too small. Kurt was practically on top of Blaine as he tried to get comfortable.

"Sorry," he said awkwardly. Kurt bent his knees to try and push himself back up, but only succeeded in hitting Blaine in the jaw.

Blaine sighed patiently. "This isn't working." He grabbed the unsuspecting boy around the waist, pulling him so that Kurt's body was pressed against his chest. "Better," Blaine said, wrapping an arm around his friend.

Kurt nodded in agreement. Blaine could feel Kurt shudder slightly at their sudden closeness, but he chose to ignore it.

Not long after, he could feel Kurt's head sink into his shoulder. Blaine grinned as he heard his friend begin to snore quietly. He scooped Kurt into his arms and carried him to bed, throwing blankets over his slight frame. Just as he turned to lay on the couch, Blaine heard his friend shiver violently.

It hadn't occurred to Blaine that when Kurt had shuddered earlier, it was from the cold, not their close proximity. The thought made his heart heavy, but he wasn't quite sure why. Nevertheless, he grabbed his last blanket off the couch and gave it to the sleeping beauty.

Kurt woke up when he felt the pressure of Blaine's favorite comforter over his body. Through lazily squinted eyes, he saw Blaine shaking on the couch. He looked like he wouldn't get an ounce of beauty rest. _Not that he needed it, of course_, Kurt thought as a slight blush colored his cheeks.

"Blaine?" Kurt didn't know if his words were a spark of courage or overtired, nonsensical slurs. "You look uncomfortable."

"I'll live." Blaine's heroic act was ruined by the tone of his voice. Kurt could hear the restlessness behind the words.

"Come sleep over here." Kurt pushed himself to the very edge of the mattress and gave the other side a pat. "I don't need all this space." Blaine knew there was no arguing with Kurt, so he got up and climbed under the covers. No matter how far Kurt moved, trying to give the boy his personal space, Blaine could only find a suitable spot pressed against the contours of Kurt's body.

Blaine was starting to find new meaning in his most recent dream as he drifted off, taking in the sweet scent of Kurt's hair. If you love someone, you'll give them everything you can. And, if you're lucky, they'll love you enough to give a little back.


	4. Faults

_Focus, Blaine._ Drowning in the homework that he didn't start on Friday, Blaine had to slap his cheeks just to pay attention. Teenage Dream played softly from his speakers, reminding him of the night before. Kurt was long gone at this point, leaving before Blaine even had the chance to say good bye. All he had as proof that Kurt had even been in his bed last night was a note, quickly scrawled to let Blaine know where he would be, and the smell of Kurt on his sheets.

The Warbler was now alone with his ever-changing thoughts. He was fairly certain, thought he didn't like to admit it, that Kurt had been right. His attraction to Jason had dwindled away, leaving confusion in its wake. Blaine, the nice guy who was just helping a friend through his time of need, could not be (dare he say it) in love with Kurt. This had been his excuse, his motto every time the idea popped into his head. But now it just seemed silly. Why shouldn't he like Kurt?

_"Well, the boy does have his faults." Blaine's head whipped around. He caught sight of his conscience, leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his Marc Jacobs sweater._

_"Kurt? What're you doing here? I'm not even asleep!"_

_"How the hell should I know?" The boy strolled over to Blaine, hopping onto his desk and turning his math textbook into a makeshift cushion. "I'm the one trapped in your strange little head here, buddy. You're probably just daydreaming."_

_"Daydreaming... right." Blaine rubbed his eyes. This was beginning to drive him crazy. "Is there something you wanted or...?"_

_"Just needed to show you something." Kurt jumped off the desk and walked to the door, gesturing with a perfectly manicured hand for Blaine to follow suit. He sighed and stood, but raised a finger to silence Kurt before the figment could continue talking._

_"You really don't have to do this anymore, you know. I got the message."_

_"I know." Kurt smiled warmly, looking at Blaine with pity. "But I can tell you're more confused than ever, sweetie. So I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, and you'll play along. Got it?" Blaine nodded, knowing he had no choice. "Great. Now let's go see Jason."_

_"But I don't even like him anymore!"_

_"I know!" Kurt shouted in an exasperated manner. "But he's such a good exemplar."_

_Traveling was incredibly quick. Blaine didn't even know where they were anymore, but it clearly wasn't Dalton. He found himself in a restaurant, small but upscale, sitting in a booth across from Kurt. His conscience pointed a few booths away to a familiar blond head. He whispered, "Watch closely."_

_Blaine looked over at Jason's booth and saw him laughing with an anonymous girl. She had chestnut brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders, and her eyes shown green even from this distance. "Who's that? His sister?"_

_Kurt put a hand to his wide smile, trying his best to stifle a giggle. "His girlfriend."_

_"What?" Blaine looked dumbfounded. "I could've sworn he played for the other team..."_

_"Yeah, well, looks like he jammed your gay-dar, sweetie." The figment couldn't help but laugh this time. "Not everyone can be perfect, Blaine. Not even you, with your amazing judge of sexuality." Kurt looked away, choosing to stare at the couple in the booth. "They sure do look happy, don't they?"_

_"I guess." Blaine was distracted by Jason's clothing. He had never realized before entering Jason's living quarters, but he was a complete mess. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked, despite the classy dining atmosphere he was in. His jeans had mud stains that blended seamlessly with his sneakers. Even his face was sloppy with stubble in desperate need of a shave._

_Jason's next move made Blaine cringe. The blond reached across the table, fork in hand, and snagged a piece of pasta from his girlfriend's plate. "Ugh," Blaine said, making a disgusted face, "I hate it when people do that! It's so rude!" Kurt just nodded thoughtfully._

_The couple started talking, and Blaine leaned forward to catch their words. He heard the word 'carbs' and saw the girl's eyes drop to her plate. "Oh, now he's telling her what to eat? What the hell is his problem?"_

_"I don't know," Kurt said, watching the girl give Jason a look of both annoyance and love. "She still seems to care for him though."_

_"I don't know why she would."_

_Kurt shook his head, trying to remain patient. "When you love someone, it's wholeheartedly. It isn't true love if you can't get past their faults. Sure, he has a lot of them, but she probably has a big heart and sees around them." Blaine saw Jason's girlfriend grab his hand and give him a smile. Kurt was right; they did seem happy._

_"Time to go, Blaine." The figment extended a hand to help Blaine out of their booth. "You still have homework to finish." Everything around him became slightly blurry, and at the blink of an eye, the Warbler was back at his desk._

Blaine looked down at the notes he was supposed to be taking. They were completely ruined; he had been absentmindedly writing the lyrics to Teenage Dream over them, and the margins were filled with the initials KH. Blaine groaned and ripped the entire page out of his notebook. Knowing there was no point in trying to focus, the Warbler started a new page, titled "Kurt's Faults." His daydream had left him curious.

_Number one,_ Blaine thought, putting all his effort into the list. But what was number one? _Well, I guess Kurt tends to be a mother hen._

But that wasn't fair to Kurt. He had been without a mother for years, and it was probably natural for him to develop a nurturing personality. Blaine couldn't penalize his friend for caring, even when he cared to the point of chiding his loved-ones to no end. He crossed out the first bullet.

_Let's try this again. Number one, Kurt is competitive._

But it's okay to be competitive, to a degree. To get anywhere at McKinley, Kurt had to fight for it. Blaine admired the boy's ambition. Another dark line was made across the paper, his ink bleeding slowly across the page.

_Okay, for real this time. Number one, Kurt cares too much about his appearance._

But what was wrong with looking good? Blaine couldn't truly find fault in wanting to look presentable, or standing out. In fact, he loved the way Kurt dressed.

The next several minutes were a cycle of Blaine writing down and crossing out sentences, until the list had become a rather large blob of dark ink. Only one line was left at the very bottom of the page.

_Number one, he isn't mine._

Yes, Blaine could keep that one. No matter what, Kurt's only flaw was that he could never see him as a love interest, just the forever faithful friend who took care of him. Blaine wasn't sure how long it would take before that wasn't enough. He sighed and closed the notebook, putting off his work even farther to listen to Teenage Dream on repeat.


	5. Letting Go

**A/N- Last chapter! It's always bittersweet to finish a story... I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it! :)**

It was Sunday night, and Blaine was worried. Kurt always said good night to him when he got back from Lima, letting his friend know that he had made it to Dalton safely. It was nine o'clock now, and Blaine still hadn't seen the handsome boy.

He knew that Kurt was in the school, though. Blaine had been chatting with Wes not long ago, who hand offhandedly mentioned he saw Kurt enter his dorm with his roommate.

So his friend was safe. That wasn't what worried Blaine. The problem was that Kurt hadn't bothered to say good night to him. What was wrong? Was he busy, or was there something more behind it? Blaine sighed and rested his dark curls against his pillow. He could still smell Kurt on the sheets, even if the boy hadn't been in his room since early Saturday morning.

He tried his best to fall asleep, not wanting to dwell on his thoughts any longer. Blaine drifted off, never hearing the timid knock at his door.

* * *

_"Bla-aine!" Kurt's oversized eyes were staring at the Warbler's face as he called his name in a sing-song voice. Blaine swatted at his conscience._

_"I'm not in the mood." He rolled to face the wall, putting his back to the well-dressed boy. Looking at that familiar profile, exaggerated as it may be, reminded him too much of his current dilemma._

_"Oh, you're always in the mood to see me. You love me!" Kurt smirked and put a smooth hand to Blaine's arm, turning him so they were facing one another. "This is the last time I do this to you, I promise."_

_Blaine didn't know whether to be excited by that or not. He sighed and climbed out of bed, shuffling his bare feet to the door. "Where are we going this time?"_

_"Nowhere, really. Just out for a walk." Kurt turned the brass knob and let Blaine out into the hall, following close behind. The corridor was dark and empty. Blaine guessed that it was around one in the morning, well past the time the dorm supervisors would be clearing the halls of stragglers. He walked past room after room as quietly as possible, trying not to get caught, while Kurt spoke to him in a hushed tone._

_"I have another question." The figment put his face very close to Blaine's, and he could smell the Dolce & Gabbana cologne Kurt was so fond of. "If you loved someone, but they were in love with someone else, could you let them go? Knowing they would be happier with the other person?"_

_Blaine was finally starting to understand where these questions were going. At least, he thought he did. "I know where we're headed," he said, thinking he was very clever. "You'll show me Jason doing something with his girlfriend, expecting me to be mad because I can't have him."_

_"Actually, I-"_

_"Well I can tell you right now, that isn't going to happen."_

_"That's not-"_

_"It's perfectly fine that he has a girlfriend. And I am happy for them, really. They're very cute together."_

_"Blaine, I don't think-"_

_"Hey, who's that over there?" The Warbler stopped short and put a hand to Kurt's chest, forcing him to do the same. "Is that... Kurt?"_

_Yes, as the hurried boy glanced over his shoulder, Blaine immediately recognized his friend. Seeing the real Kurt and the figment of his imagination together for the fist time made the figment's elfin features even more prominent._

_The boy at his side exhaled sharply. If Blaine wasn't going to listen, he would just have to walk into this blindly. "Follow him. I'll be in your room when you're done." Blaine's conscience stalked off, leaving him to follow the real Kurt._

_He tiptoed down the same path that Kurt had just taken, making sure he was sly enough to avoid being seen. Blaine watched his friend run through the halls, finally reaching his destination. Blaine didn't recognize the door Kurt knocked on, nor the boy who answered. Kurt obviously did, though. When the door swung on its hinges, the most vibrant grin Blaine had ever seen spread across Kurt's handsome face. He jumped into the nameless boy's arms, wrapping his legs around the boy's waist. Their lips pressed together with feverish intensity and Kurt ran his pale hands through the boy's hair._

_Blaine stood frozen, unable to stop watching this guy run his hands up Kurt's thin shirt. He was too numb to notice the tears marking his cheeks, or that his feet were carrying him back to his room. Even as he opened his bedroom door, the only thing Blaine could see was Kurt and the boy. Kurt looked more blissful than Blaine had ever seen him._

_The picture in his head was shattered by someone clearing their throat, the noise barely audible over the sound of blood rushing through Blaine's ears. He looked up to find his conscience, its oversized features contorted with worry. The warped Kurt ran up and wiped a tear from Blaine's cheek, unleashing a flood of fresh ones. He led Blaine to the couch and made him sit._

_"You okay?" Blaine shook his head, his dark curls bouncing across his forehead. "I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen." Kurt sighed and sat down next to him. He wiped another tear away, trying to be comforting._

_"He- he looked so ha- happy," Blaine choked out. His voice cracked twice in just those few words. "I've never seen him look like that before."_

_"Do you think, maybe, you could be happy for him too?" Kurt said the words gently._

_"Do I have a choice?" Blaine let out a sob and dropped his head to his hands. "I co- could never take him from that. Never."_

_The figment sighed. "You really love him, don't you?"_

_"Yeah. I think I do." The Warbler rested his head on Kurt's shoulder, letting his conscience pat his hair._

_"Well, the nice thing is that this is a dream. So if you really wanted him..." He let the sentence trail off so Blaine could come to his own conclusion._

_"So... I still have a shot?" The boy sniffled, reminding himself of a toddler._

_"Blaine, you have way more than just a shot!" Kurt laughed and put a hand under Blaine's chin, lifting his head so their eyes met. "I may not be an expert on this sort of thing, but I do know this: he'd take you in a heartbeat." Blaine smiled, releasing one last sob as his conscience stood. "You know what to do, Blaine. Go get him."_

Blaine lurched forward, more awake than he had been in ages. The clock on his nightstand told him it was two in the morning, but he climbed out of bed anyway. This couldn't wait.

The boy ran from his dorm and down the hall. Blaine knew the route to Kurt's room like the back of his hand. He pounded frantically at the door, not caring if he woke every boarder in Dalton. A tired boy threw the entryway open, wearing only a pair of blue pajama bottoms. "Blaine? What's wrong?" He whispered, trying not to bother his sleeping roommate.

"Why didn't you say good night to me?" Of all the things Blaine needed to say, it was admittedly a very hostile conversation starter.

"What?" Kurt rubbed his heavily lidded blue eyes, trying to stay focused on the confusing situation. "This can't wait until the morning?"

"No. Why didn't you come to see me?"

"I did! But you didn't answer the door, which hurt because I was still really embarrassed about Friday and it took all my courage to even _walk past _your room. And I thought maybe I had crossed a line, because you don't like me that way, but-"

Blaine leaned forward and cut him off with a kiss. First gentle, their lips barely touching, but more urgent when Kurt opened his mouth questioningly. Blaine's tongue took the opportunity to explore freely, making Kurt collapse against his chest. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist to support him. Kurt reached up and ran his fingers through the boy's dark curls, gripping them to pull Blaine closer. Blaine broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to Kurt's. "I love you."

Kurt smirked, trying to hide his elation. "What took you so long?" He hit Blaine's chest playfully and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I love you, too."

* * *

Blaine laid in his bed, Kurt's smooth back pressed against his chest. The handsome boy slept peacefully, and Blaine was content in simply watching him.

Kurt rolled over suddenly, resting his head on Blaine's chest. "I love this," he whispered. He must have been having a very good dream. That, or he was very aware of this amazing reality, even in his sleep.

_So do I,_ Blaine thought to himself. He smiled warmly and kissed the top of Kurt's head. Yes, this was the way it was supposed to be. Not infatuation. Love.


End file.
